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Later this month Asmik Grigorian will star in Covent Garden’s new Jenufa, which Trove Thursday anticipates presenting the acclaimed Lithuanian soprano in a broadcast from 2014 of Tchaikovsky’s rare opera The Enchantress (Charodeyka).
While last year’s finals were dominated by early nineteenth-century bel canto arias, this year’s finalists took on a remarkably broad range of music from a variety of repertoires.
VIctor Herbert demonstrates in this slight, affectionate piece a talent for keeping his musico-dramatic balls in the air, as Madeleine’s spirits juggle, fall, rise again, and droop to elegant resignation at the last.
Happy 66th birthday to comic genius Catherine O’Hara.
La Cieca has obtained a letter from the Met’s Assistant General Manager, Artistic informing artists arriving in New York from certain high-risk areas they are subject to a two-week quarantine before rehearsing or performing.
I never imagined I’d see such a rote park-and-bark Wagner production created in 2020!
On this day in 1875 Bizet’s Carmen had its disastrous premiere at the Opéra Comique in Paris.
After tonight’s dark drab dud of a Dutchman, I was plunged into despair.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Grand Tier Grab Bag
My 600 performance life
My 600 performance life
Parterre Box acknowledges Riccardo Muti‘s 600th performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by highlighting two of his favorite singers — under a different conductor.
Parterre Box acknowledges Riccardo Muti‘s 600th performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by highlighting two of his favorite singers — under a different conductor.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Life imitates art
Life imitates art
With Gustavo Dudamel in the spotlight at Parterre Box this week, Grand Tier Grab Bag foreshadows one of the New York Philharmonic’s upcoming operatic engagements.
With Gustavo Dudamel in the spotlight at Parterre Box this week, Grand Tier Grab Bag foreshadows one of the New York Philharmonic’s upcoming operatic engagements.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Drink me
Drink me
Parterre Box answers the question, “how can a singer do both Tristan and Nemorino within a few month of each other?” with a clip of a recent role debut from Michael Spyres.
Parterre Box answers the question, “how can a singer do both Tristan and Nemorino within a few month of each other?” with a clip of a recent role debut from Michael Spyres.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Otherwise occupied
Otherwise occupied
Parterre Box features a performance from two belcantisti who would rather you not think about their political affiliations.
Parterre Box features a performance from two belcantisti who would rather you not think about their political affiliations.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Northern star
Northern star
Parterre Box previews an upcoming performance of Hercules with Ann Hallenberg in some very unique Baroque repertoire.
Parterre Box previews an upcoming performance of Hercules with Ann Hallenberg in some very unique Baroque repertoire.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Tra voi belle
Tra voi belle
Following the announcement that she’ll make her Met debut next season, Grand Tier Grab Bag brings Italian soprano Erika Grimaldi to your attention with a duet from Manon Lescaut.
Following the announcement that she’ll make her Met debut next season, Grand Tier Grab Bag brings Italian soprano Erika Grimaldi to your attention with a duet from Manon Lescaut.
Wagner’s early masterpiece returns to the Met conducted by Valery Gergiev (not pictured).
Our thanks to our darling parterre box advertisers, without whom La Cieca and the gang would be at a loss for words!
La Cieca is shocked, shocked to report that…
Leading the parterre box top ten for the month of February: a new season and the (apparent) end of a legendary career.
On this day in 1960 debonair Don Ameche donned yellowface to star in the notorious flop musical 13 Daughters, which ran 28 performances.
The 2020 finalists perform on the Met stage this afternoon for an audience of judges, agents, industry leaders, and the general public.
In the opera world, one of the pieces that underwent a multitude of changes in its reception was undoubtedly Richard Wagner’s longest and most Germanic opera, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.
Happy 93rd birthday soprano Lucine Amara.
Talk of the Town
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Ben Miller
A favorite art song performance from Ben Miller
It’s not where you start but where you Finnish
It’s not where you start but where you Finnish
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Timothy Gray
A favorite art song performance from Timothy Gray
Wolfgang Holzmair‘s performance was amazing in its personal and intimate approach.
Wolfgang Holzmair‘s performance was amazing in its personal and intimate approach.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Peter Russell
A favorite art song performance from Peter Russell
William Parker‘s career launch coincided with the closet door fully opening for American male classical vocalists; the cruel irony is that Will was also an early AIDS casualty, gone in 1993 at 49.
William Parker‘s career launch coincided with the closet door fully opening for American male classical vocalists; the cruel irony is that Will was also an early AIDS casualty, gone in 1993 at 49.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from feliks
A favorite art song performance from feliks
This song has always been one of my favorites.
This song has always been one of my favorites.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Remko Jas
A favorite art song performance from Remko Jas
The song recitals I remember most vividly were, unsurprisingly, the most vivid ones.
The song recitals I remember most vividly were, unsurprisingly, the most vivid ones.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Krunoslav
A favorite art song performance from Krunoslav
The staggeringly great Ukraine-born Jewish bass Mark Reizen sings “The Ebullient Kura Swirls” a/k/a “The Persian Love Song” by Moldova-born Jewish composer Anton Rubinstein.
The staggeringly great Ukraine-born Jewish bass Mark Reizen sings “The Ebullient Kura Swirls” a/k/a “The Persian Love Song” by Moldova-born Jewish composer Anton Rubinstein.
On this day in 1836 Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots premiered in Paris.
Christine Goerke‘s Bayreuth debut has been canceled.
Although I usually pretend that I don’t have the diva-worship gene, sharp-eyed readers of parterre box will know that since I joined the site in 2011 as “DeCaffarrelli” I have often swooned as an Ann Hallenberg-fanboi.
On this day in 1910 prima ballerina Anna Pavlova made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in Coppelia (on a double bill with Werther!)
Now! Starting! Opera!
The season’s second cast delivered a satisfying, if not transcendent, La Traviata at the Met last night as they struggled to emerge from piles of jewel tone brocade and gold filigree.
Trove Thursday previews Massenet’s Werther—due to return next month at the Met—with a 1984 Paris performance starring two marvelous protagonists, Tatiana Troyanos and Alain Vanzo.